The present invention relates to improved breading crumbs for food coating systems which provide coated food products with improved texture, including improved crispness, better holding of crispness under food-heating lights or in holding ovens, and better maintenance of crispness under freezer and refrigerator conditions.
Fried battered and breaded food products including as the substrate fish, seafood, poultry, red meat, vegetables, fruit, cereal-based products and nuts are popular for their crisp texture and golden brown appearance. Such coated food products generally comprise a food substrate to which a variety of combinations of coating materials is applied. The coating materials include tempura or cohesion batters, adhesion batters, predust, and breading crumbs. Depending on the substrate and the organoleptic properties desired, such coating materials may be applied in specific combinations, including, for example, batter and breading crumbs; adhesion batter, breading crumbs, adhesion batter, and breading crumbs; batter, breading crumbs and adhesion batter; predust, adhesion batter and breading crumbs; cohesion batter, predust, adhesion batter and breading crumbs; and batter, predust and batter.
The coated food products, which may be raw, fully cooked, or partially cooked, are frozen or refrigerated for distribution to retail and fast food outlets. The frozen or refrigerated coated food product may be cooked for consumption by any desired procedure, such as by baking, deep fat frying, pan frying or microwaving.
Unfortunately, much of the desirable crispy texture and golden brown appearance is lost, particularly in a fast-food environment, where the coated food product is fried or baked and then held for a period of time, whether under food-heating lights, in a heated holding cabinet, on a steam table, or otherwise. In addition, storage under frozen or refrigerated conditions or under conditions where freeze-thaw cycles may be encountered also reduces the crispness of the cooked products.
Finally, it is generally desirable to improve the organoleptic properties of coated food products, whether fried or otherwise prepared for consumption. The present invention is directed to breading crumbs which provide such improvement, including improved crispness.